Storm door having releasable grill



Nov. 1, 1966 H. R. ROSENBLUM 3,281,989

STORM DOOR HAVING RELEASABLE GRILL Filed June 19, 1964 La /Z9 29; /9 6 09 INVENTOR. HENRY R. ROSENBLUM BY 33 A 3"; 5

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3 281, STORM DOOR HAVING RELEASABLE GRILL Henry R. Rosenblum, Niles, Ohio, assignor to Rosen- This invention relates to storm door grills and more particularly to quick release fasteners for securing such grills to storm doors.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of novel means for detachably securing an ornamental and protective grill to a storm door. 7

A further object of the invention is the provision of novel quick release fasteners for securing a protective grill to a storm door.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of means for detachably securing an ornamental grill to a storm door that requires two different actions to install or remove-a grill from the storm door.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a simple, inexpensive, and easily installed quick release fastener for an ornamental grill on a storm door.

The quick release fasteners for ornamental and protective grills on storm doors as disclosed herein solve a problem which has existed as long as such protective and ornamental grills for storm doors have been used.

It is well known that in order to protect the glass panel in the lower central section of a storm door, as well as to protect the screen panel therein when the same is in position, a protective and ornamental appear ing grill is commonly installed on the outside of the storm door immediately adjacent the glass or screen sash to be protected. Such grills as heretofore know in the art have comprised various criss-cross arrangements of metal bars or the like, the ends of which were frequently directly attached to the storm door frame. Such grills have also been formed with horizontal upper and lower end frames which extend so as to overlie the storm door frame and the same are then attached directly to the storm door frame by metal fasteners, such as metal screws or bolts engaging the storm door frame. Such grills so attached become part of the storm door frame, and the problem of removing them for washing the glass sash when the same is in position is present.

Heretofore, it has been necessary to remove the protective and ornamental grill so that the glass sash can be washed. The quick release fastener for storm door grills disclosed herein permits the protective and ornamental grill to be quickly and easily removed so that the glass may be washed, whereupon the protective and ornamental grill is quickly and easily re-installed.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being the intention to cover all changes and modifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for purposes of the disclosure, which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a doorway in a dwelling house showing a storm door with a protective grill thereon.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged vertical section on line 22 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged vertical section on line 3-3 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the quick release fastener seen in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the quick release fastener seen in FIGURE 3.

By referring to the drawings, and FIGURE 1 in particular, it will be seen that a side wall of a dwelling house is partially illustrated showing horizontal siding 10, 10 and a door frame 11 having a sill 12. A rectangular storm door frame 13 is hingedly mounted in the door frame 11. The lowermost portion of the storm door frame includes a fixed solid panel 14 having a mullion bar 15 at its upper edge. A secondary mullion bar 16 positioned transversely of the storm door frame 13 divides the area of the storm door above the mullion bar 15 into two openings for receiving removable storm sash or screen sash. As illustrated in FIGURE 1 of the drawings, glazed storm sash are shown in both positions.

Still referring to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, it will be seen that a protective and ornamental grill comprising upper and lower horizontal frame members 17 and 18 respectively having extending end portions 19 and 20 respectively serve to support vertical frame members 21 and 22. A plurality of angularly disposed metal bars 23, 23 are positioned in criss-cross relation in the area defined by the horizontal and vertical frame members 17 and 18, 21 and 22 and as illustrated the metal bars 23, 23 have curved end portions 24, 24 which are secured permanently to the frame members 17, 18, 21 and 22 respectively. It will thus be seen that the ornamental and protective grill forms a unitary structure which is attached to the storm door frame 13 by its extending end portions 19 and 20.

In FIGURE 1 of the drawings, a pair of lower offset brackets 25, 25 are shown secured to the storm door frame 13 by fasteners 26, 26 and as best illustrated in enlarged cross sectional detail in FIGURES 3 and 5 of the drawings. By referring thereto, it will be observed that one side of each of the brackets 25 has an outturned end portion 27 and a longitudinal rolled upper edge 28, which defines a narrow entranceway having a springlike cage action relative to the ends 20, 20 of the frame member 18 of the ornamental and protective grill.

By referring now to the upper edge of the ornamental and protective grill, it will be seen that the ends 19, 19 of the grill are engaged in spring clips 29, 29 as best seen in enlarged detail in FIGURES 2 and 4 of the drawings. The spring clips 29 have spaced parallel outwardly extending flanges 30, 30 which are provided with longitudinally rolled edges 31, 31 respectively and which define a narrow entranceway capable of receiving and retaining the extending ends, 19, 19 of the frame member 17 of the grill in a snap lock-like arrangement. One of each of the spring clips 29, 29 is provided with an outturned end wall 32.

It will thus be seen that when the ornamental and protective grill is initially positioned on the storm door frame 13, the ends 20, 20 of the frame member 18 of the grill are lowered into the offset brackets 25, 25 and are securely retained thereby while the upper ends 19, 19 of the frame member 17 of the grill are engaged between the spring-like flanges 30 with the longitudinal edges 31 of the spring clips 29, 29 thereby securing the grill in desired position on the storm door. It is obvious that the grill can be easily removed by first disengaging the ends 19, 19 of the frame member 17 and then lifting the ends 20, 20 of the frame member 18 out of the offset brackets 25.

It will occur to those skilled in the art that while the ornamental and protective grill is in position on the door, it will be firmly and securely held by the dual spring action of the offset brackets 25, 25 and the spring clips 29, 29 and it will thus be seen that a quick release fastener arrangement for storm door grills has been disclosed which meets the several objects of the invention. Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. The combination of a storm door and a grill therefor, said door having grill receiving brackets thereon, said brackets each comprising a flat apertured body member having a right angular flange on its upper edge, a vertically positioned upstanding wall on said flange, the upper longitudinal edge of said wall being rolled to thicken the same transversely, said flange, wall and rolled longitudinal edge being formed of resilient material whereby said grill is normally retained in snug relation on said storm door.

2. The combination of a storm door having a rectangular frame and an ornamental grill therefor and including resilient retaining brackets secured to said storm door frame in horizontally and vertically spaced relation receiving and retaining said grill, each of said retaining brackets having a vertically disposed body member and means attaching the same to said storm door frame and at least one horizontal portion supporting said grill and at least one projecting resilient flange having a rolled spring like edge thereon positioned in closely spaced parvallel relation to said body member and retaining said grill in snug relation'on said storm door.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 288,183 11/1883 Ohly 248316.5 X

377,624 2/1888 Kuenzel .L 2071 710,661 10/1902 Berger 2055 X 713,888 11/1902 Kellner. 1,412,460 4/1922 Dickinson 20-55 X 2,615,515 10/1952 Hoffman 160369 2,676,652 4/1954 Duncan 2071 X 2,909,354 10/1959 Bingham 248-3165 3,166,116 1/1965 Cole 160369 3,170,200 2/1965 Araas 20-71 FOREIGN PATENTS 330,499 6/ 1930 Great Britain.

HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner.

KENNETH DOWNEY, Examiner.

W. E. HEATON, Assistant Examiner. 

1. THE COMBINATION OF A STORM DOOR AND A GRILL THEREFOR, SAID DOOR HAVING GRILL RECEIVING BRACKETS THEREON, SAID BRACKETS EACH COMPRISING A FLAT APERTURED BODY MEMBER HAVING A RIGHT ANGULAR FLANGE ON ITS UPPER EDGE, A VERTICALLY POSITIONED UPSTANDING WALL ON SAID FLANGE, THE UPPER LONGITUDINAL EDGE OF SAID WALL BEING ROLLED TO THICKEN THE SAME TRANSVERSELY, SAID FLANGE, WALL AND ROLLED LONGITUDINAL EDGE BEING FORMED OF RESILIENT MATERIAL WHEREBY SAID GRILL IS NORMALLY RETAINED IN SNUG RELATION ON SAID STORM DOOR. 